Airship



Jam.. 10 W. l,656,137

A. BRAM'ORD AIRSHIP A yT rfmmm y floor (15). When the varnish is dry andmaterials of scaffold removed, the fabric may be allowed to collapseonto door (l5) excluding all air. It is then ready toinflate with gas. Asufficient number of relief valves may be fixed between the upper endsof the frames (24) arranged to open automatical lyfwhenever the internalpressure become unsa e.

Another way to reduce pressure, without losing gas, is provided by thegas pump (28) Fig. 4 and suction pipe (33) by means of which gas may bepumped from the gas holder and stored above the diaphragm in cylinders(2Q-22). (16) is av floor over the car, which lalso stiffens the caragainst lateral strains, and with floor (39) Fig. 4 affords storageroom.

The circular T shaped uprights (45) secure the car to the frame beforedescribed. All of the lower part of the ship below (17) bow and sternframe work to be cov ered on the Outside with thin sheet metal topresent a smooth surface to the atmosphere.

The reservoir cylinders (22--22) before mentioned are made principallyof thin sheet duralumin strengthened with ribs (23) to prevent collapsewhen the internal pressure is too weak to sustain the weight of theupper part butthe duralumin must be strong enough to prevent bursting byinternal pressure.

IThe diaphragms (34) are of Athe right width to form a close fittinglining for the lower half of the cylinder when filled with gas, or to bea similar lining for the upper half when the cylinders are filled withair. These air-gas-tight partitions do not require great strength as thepressure is always equal on each side. (3f) is one'of the air inletpipes and (32) is one of the gas inlets. (43) seen in dotted linesbehind one of the wood segment supports, in Fig. 6 is one of theself-closing ballast discharge pipes, each having a cord or wireconnection to a handle convenient for the engineer. vThe valve I nearthe top of pipe (32) Fig. 4 is only opened when it is required to allowsome gas to pass from the reservoir cylinders to the gas holder. The airpump or compressor (29) Fig. 4 compresses air in the reservoir cylindersbelow the diaphragms. ,If there be gas in the cylinders above thediaphragms it is reduced in volume. The gasoline motors (27) are gearedto the shafts (25) which are supported on brackets secured to the carand to the segtenais? ment frames (24) as seen in ligs. 4 and 3 and indotted lines in Fig. l. `Propellers 26 are fixed on the shafts 25 androtated therewith.

lThe pipe has a. mercury gauge 3G connected to indicate the pressure ofair in the cylinders, and the pipe (33) has a mercury gauge 35 toindicate the pressure in the gas holder'.

lt is, of course, understood that in a plant equipped to build airshipsthere is likely to be a compressed air system of large capacity whichwill be used to inflate the holder 19 for varnishing and testingalthough obviously a smaller pump may be used if such a large capacityplant is not available.

Having described my invention what I wish to secure by Letters Patentis:

l. In an air ship of the buoyant type, one or more long cylinders oflight weight construction, made in two halves, upper and lower, boltedtogether with the edges of a flexible diaphragm or partition ofsufficient width to fit against either half cylinder.

2. ln an air ship of the buoyant type, the combination of the segmentframes (24) with the floor (l5) having joists crosswise of the shipsecured at both ends to the frames (24) and covered with a light weight,strong floor (l5), and the longitudinal truss and stem and stern posts,and rigidly attached long car, making a rigid frame for the ship.

3. An airship comprising a longitudinal truss, -end frames connected tothe ends of the truss and offset upwardly therefrom, side framesconnected to the truss and curving upwardly and outwardly from thetruss, a floor connected to the truss and to the curved side framesbelow the upper edges of the side frames, a gas-tight covering for thefioor and side frames, and a flexible gas holder connected to the upperedges of the side frames and co-acting therewith to define a gas space,the forward and rearward ends of the flexible gas holder beingengaged bythe end frames. I

4. An airship comprising a longitudinal truss, side frames curvingoutwardly and upwardly from the truss, a floor connected to the trussand also connected to the side frames below their upper ends, agas-tight covering for the floor and the side frames, and a collapsiblegas holder connected to the u per ends of the side frames and co-act ingt erewith to define a gas space.

ALLEN BRADFORD.

